Stubborn
by lieutenant-troi
Summary: Remus has a problem, and boy is it stubborn. Not DH compliant, I own nothing, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

At age 25, Hermione Granger always knew what she wanted. Right now, what she wanted was to sit outside at the Burrow and eat lunch in the grass, soaking up the sunshine before getting stuck inside once more to clean her new apartment in Marseille. Harry and Ron were there and had been suckered into helping her get their food outside. Just as they were about to sit down, they saw Fred, George, and Remus approaching the house. "Boys! Would you like to join us for lunch?" Hermione called to them, waving them over to the trio. Fred and George passed, saying they were only stopping by to borrow a something from their dad (no one bothered to ask what, their projects were best left in the 'ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies' category), and Remus looked torn. He seemed more awkward around them lately, and Hermione worried about him. "You, too, Remus!" He smiled.

"Hermione, you called for the 'boys.' I'm in my forties, I'm hardly a boy." Hermione chuckled at that.

"Remus, all men are boys. Now sit down and have a sandwich." Remus could not resist. He knew as well as the others that she could be downright scary if things did not go her way. He sat. He ate.

"So, Remus," Harry asked between bites of turkey. "How have you been lately? We haven't seen you around much. I haven't even seen Teddy in nearly a month!" Remus shrugged.

"Oh, I've been alright. Seven-year-olds are a handful, you know. I've just been busy." He was always busy. And he said Teddy was a handful no matter how old he got. He was being evasive and Hermione knew it.

"You know, if you wanted to take a day off, to just relax I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind watching Teddy." She smiled at him, and Harry nodded fervently. He loved Teddy very much and wanted desperately to be a bigger part of his life. Remus gave her a small smile in return. Maybe a day off would do him some good, help him clear his mind and figure out a particular issue he'd been working out. A very stubborn issue.

"Perhaps you're right," he said. "Maybe I'll take a day this weekend and go hiking, something relaxing." Her eyes immediately lit up. She adored hiking. Despite all of the time she and the boys had spent camping while they were on the run, she still very much enjoyed being outdoors. It reminded her of happy times with her parents, and she just always felt at ease in the woods.

"Oh my gosh, could I come with you!?" She sounded so excited, Remus couldn't possibly tell her that wouldn't be quite as relaxing as he'd hoped. He also couldn't possibly tell her no.

"Oh, um, of course!" he stumbled out. Hermione squealed with delight and immediately started making plans of where they'd go, where she would meet him, what time, and which boxes she'd have to get unpacked in order to find her camelback and hiking boots. Remus was silently cursing himself. This was not going to help his issue. Did he mention it was stubborn? After all, Hermione Granger always knew what she wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus was nervous. He liked Hermione a great deal, and feared spending a day alone with her would lead to more stress, not less. But she had been so eager. It was obvious that she wanted to spend the day with him, too. "Get ahold of yourself, old boy," he muttered to himself. He shook his head. She just liked hiking, she didn't like him. Well, she liked him, but she didn't LIKE him like him. Remus sighed. His thoughts were those of a thirteen-year-old, not a forty five-year-old.

He needed a task. Something to get his mind off of the hike tomorrow morning. Teddy was with his grandmother, and he had no distractions in the house. A picnic. He'd pack a picnic for lunch. It would give him something to do, not to mention the fact that Hermione loved picnics. First, he needed to go shopping. He walked over to his fireplace, grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder and threw it into the fire. "Diagon Alley," he said, and disappeared in a flash of flames.

Hermione was terribly excited. She hadn't gone hiking since her trip to the Forest of Dean with her parents before the war. Trekking across the country during the war didn't count. She was determined to make this day fun for Remus. He was too tense lately. It was as if something about their group made him nervous. Hermione wanted to nip whatever that feeling was in the bud. She started digging through the boxes labeled "travel" and quickly found everything she thought she would need. Camelback, compass, hiking boots, and a whistle. Better safe than sorry, and although she would also have her wand, Hermione liked to be prepared. She also found a guidebook filled with various hiking trails, although she had no idea where Remus would want to go. She headed into the kitchen and made a simple lunch for the next day. Granola, a sandwich, some veggies, and some juice. She stuck it in the fridge and grabbed a book to try and distract her from her excitement. Sleep would not come easy.

Remus returned from Diagon Alley with several bags in tow. He had bought ample picnic supplies as well as some hiking gear he'd been lacking. His daypack had so many holes in it, no amount of magic could keep everything inside anymore. He'd also found a camelback, which he had never heard of, but had bought on Hermione's suggestion. Conjured water never tasted as good. But he had also been successful in his picnic finds. A blanket to spread on the ground and a box to keep the food in that would keep each type of food the temperature it needed to be, despite having both warm and cold foods. Satisfied with his finds, Remus started preparing the food.

There were veggies and granola (his own special blend filled with dried fruits and several kinds of nuts), iced sweet tea, toasted paninis filled with chicken and several veggies as well as an aioli of his own creation, and for desert, a yogurt parfait. It was all food that would keep them energized and, he hoped, would show off his culinary skills for Hermione. A small smile stayed on his face all evening, and he hadn't even noticed until he went into the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps having Hermione along wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am SO SO SORRY it took me this long to update! Life got crazy: I moved halfway across the country, I started grad school, and got a new job! This is going to be the last chapter, unfortunately! I planned on it being longer, but I just can't keep up with it. Hope you enjoy!**

The next morning, Hermione was up bright and early. She Apparated to Lupin cottage around 7 and knocked on the door. When Remus answered, Hermione had to do a double-take. He looked younger, somehow, as if the stress he'd been building up had all suddenly melted away. Also, he was grinning broadly, which Hermione hadn't seen him do since Teddy was born.

Remus stood aside to welcome her in. "Come on inside, Harry should be here any moment!" Hermione set her pack down by the door and headed into the living room where Teddy was currently reading. Definitely his father's son. "Teddy, Hermione's here!" Remus called to him, which seemed to snap the boy out of his concentration. A smile broke out on his round face, and his hair went from a deep cobalt to a shocking turquoise.

"Hermione!" He yelled and set his book down so he could throw his arms around the lady in question.

"Oh, Teddy it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. "What are you reading?" He grabbed the book and showed her, beaming. It was her favorite book, _Hogwarts, A History_. She laughed and looked up at Remus, whose own smile had not faded.

"He is bitterly disappointed that he has to wait another four years to go to Hogwarts, so I thought I'd bring a bit of it to him," Remus explained. He didn't mention that Teddy also had seen Hermione's battered copy in her bag once and decided he HAD to read it if Hermione loved it that much. Teddy really did adore the young woman.

At that moment, the fireplace turned green, and Harry stumbled out. He still hadn't quite gotten the hang of Floo travel. "Hiya Remus, Hermione!" He said, but quickly turned to his godson. "And how's my favorite little man?" Teddy laughed, and suddenly his hair was jet black and messy. He was practically Harry's twin: scar included.

"Uncle Harry! Let's go outside, I wanna go on my broom!" Harry had gotten Teddy his first toy broomstick, and several more as the boy grew. Remus may not have ever been interested in the sport, but it seemed Teddy may make a fine Chaser someday.

As Harry was pulled toward the backyard, he yelled a quick "Have fun!" and was out before Remus could even utter his thanks.

"Well then, are you ready to go?" Remus asked Hermione. She nodded enthusiastically and they both grabbed their packs and went out the front door.

"Where did you have in mind?" Hermione wasn't expecting Remus to have a sly grin on his face. "Are you going to tell me?"

Remus grabbed her small hand in his large, rather rough one. "Do you trust me?" His eyes were twinkling, and Hermione felt as if her heart were doing somersaults. She found she couldn't speak, but shook her head yes. Remus turned them on the spot, and when Hermione shook her head after the effects of Side-Along Apparition, she gasped. They were at the base of a group of small mountains. Trees all around, and it was rather warm, despite the early hour. She finally found her voice.

"Where are we?"

Remus chuckled, and started to lead the way up the mountain path. "We're in Utah, actually. In the US." Hermione gasped. "It's a town right outside Salt Lake City and we're headed up to Naomi Peak."

Of all the places Hermione expected to end up today, Utah was probably the last one. "So, er, why Utah?" she couldn't help but ask him.

"I dunno" he replied, after a moment of thought. "I just wanted to get...AWAY away, you know?" He looked distant for a moment. Hermione frowned.

"I should have let you have the day to yourself," she started. "I should have realized you'd want some peace and quiet and-"

"Hermione." he cut her off, his brow furrowed. "If I didn't want you here, do you think I'd have been so happy to see you this morning?" His smile was back, and slowly, so was hers.

"Alright. But if you want to be alone, please just say so." She may have wanted to be here with him, but she was being honest, and Remus knew it. It was one of the things he loved about her. Always putting others' feelings before her own.

"I promise I will, should I want some time alone." That wouldn't happen today, he was certain. "But let's get on with it, eh? We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to reach the peak!"

It was a lovely day for a hike. The sun was shining, but the higher they climbed, the less hot it felt. They even saw patches of snow here and there, although it was still warm enough that they were both comfortable in shorts. They chatted amicably as they went, and Remus was finding that his stubborn problem wasn't going anywhere. Her sweet laugh at his corny jokes, her attempt at flirting, her passion about her job and her friends...everything made him fall just a little bit further in love with her. And Hermione, though she couldn't be certain, thought that perhaps Remus was flirting back. She hadn't seen him this at ease since, well, ever. However, Hermione was quickly realizing she was definitely NOT in shape for a mountain climb. She'd had to stop several times. Sometimes, she'd stop to take a picture of something, or of Remus, both as an excuse for a pause and because she wanted to capture the peace they both felt today.

Remus found her struggle adorable. She would never admit to weakness, but she just couldn't keep up with his wolfish stamina. Eventually, they reached a spot about 500 ft below the summit. "How about some lunch," Remus said, knowing that Hermione would never want to be the one to stop them. "I made us some food, you hungry?"

Hermione's heart leapt. He'd packed a picnic lunch. Her own wimpy sandwich forgotten in her pack, she gladly agreed to stop and eat. As they ate, Remus couldn't help put feel his ego swelling as she made little pleased sounds with each new flavour. When they were done, Remus offered to take a picture of her, since she's taken several of him. "Well, alright." She blushed. She hated herself in photos. "Something to prove I actually climbed a mountain." Remus chuckled and snapped a picture of her with the vast landscape behind her. Once developed, you'd be able to tell how high up they were, and he wagered you could still see the blush on her cheeks.

"Perfect." He whispered, not really meaning to say it out loud. Hermione's cheeks, which had been pink, were now a deep fuchsia.

"Wh-what?" She stammered. This could be everything she'd hoped for, but she didn't want to assume. His smile faltered, but then grew wider.

"You're perfect Hermione." She started to stay something but Remus stopped her. "No, please let me get this out. You are amazing. You're kind, and funny, of course intelligent and sexy and wonderful. Teddy adores you and...well...so do I. I don't know if you realize the effect you've had on me since the war."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. He said he ADORED her! "Remus I-" she paused for a second. She needed to say this right. "I won't lie by saying I wasn't hoping you felt this way. But I am so glad you do. I adore you as well." If possible, Remus' smile grew. He reached for her hands, and slowly took a breath and said,

"May I kiss you?" Hermione's eyes flickered to his lips and back into his stormy grey eyes. She smiled, and said,

"Please." Their lips met, tentatively at first, but then Hermione's lips parted, and her arms wrapped around Remus' broad shoulders. Remus pulled her closer, and their kiss grew more passionate. The sun was shining, but Hermione was his light. Breathing a little heavier, they paused in their ministrations. "So, I know the intention was to reach the peak, but I'm exhausted and...well...Harry agreed to take Teddy all day. No one is at my flat if you'd like to go there. We could have some tea, and read-" she was cut off by Remus' lips on hers once more.

He finally pulled away and said "Forget the peak." They laughed, gathered up their packs, and went back down the mountain, hand in hand. Once they'd gotten back to the Apparition point, they didn't let go, despite them both knowing where they were headed this time.

In the familiar surroundings of her study, Hermione smiled as she looked over at the man she'd loved for years. She realized she'd gotten what she wanted, as usual. She'd never hear the end of it from Harry. And Remus, well...Remus was thinking about his little not-such-a-problem, and how he'd never been so lucky a woman was so stubborn.


End file.
